Awning



J. F. KRAMER April 15, 1952 AWNING INVENTOR. d0/7/\/ F KRAMER EO En. I

ATTORN EYS.

April 15, 1952 1 F, KRAMER 2,592,579

AWNING K Filed Aug. 15, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 42 43 Hlllnnh INVENTOR. c/O//V E KRAMER BYA ATTORN EYS.

J. F. KRAMER April' 15, 1952 AWNING 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. l5, 1947 ATTORN EYS.

Patented pr. 15, 1952 UNI TED STATES PATENT OFF- ICE "AWNING `Jehn Kramer, ,levelandL vQhio,k assignor, by mesne assignments, tolDraeco Corp., Cleveland, Ohio a corporation of Ohio Application August l15, 1947;.Serial N o; 768,897

w 4 Claims.

This invention relates to louver awnings and more particularly to improvements in the construction, operation, appearance and installa'- bility thereof.

It is an object of myinve'ntion to providey an awning of improved construction, which can Ybe easily operated both as to louver or vaneadjustment and as toy bodily adjustment relative to the building to `which' it is secured. Another object is to provide an awning which isflight in weight, Weather-tight, compact in construction, economical Yof manufacture Aand attractive iin appearance. A more specific object is to provide a common axis about which the` awning may be swung to vary its inclination with respect to the face of the building. or window'frame andv about which the louveractuating mechanism may be operated and about which a weather seal is maintained. Afurther object is torprovide an awning whichl is'supported in relation to a building in a position-providing free access to the outside of the window so that the windowcan be conveniently Washed orotherwise repaired without removing the awning. n

Another object is to provide a, suspension mounting for such an` awning which facilitates attachment to and removal from thebuilding, and which enables bodily movement of the awning about an axis to any desired position, rang ing from a vertical position parallel to a window to a fully raised nearly horizontal positionn Another object is to provide an awning which is strong and rigid in construction and'whih `will not bend, sag or warp in any position of the awning. e e

Another Objectis tovprovide an awning lhaving side vanes or extensions whichmserve to exclude the slanting rays of the sun. Still another object is to provide means for'adjustingthe vanes cr louvers of an awning from a point within the interior of the building. l e A v A further object is to provide an improved relation between and disposition, of the operating levers and linkswithin the concealment of 'the side rail. elements whereby the appearance as well as the strength andl utility of the awning is enhanced.Y Another object is to provide a sub-assembly of operable y vanes or louvers, frame-'and operating mechanism which as a unit may begreadily installed in or removed from its place of use `and coaction with other operatively related parts and elements of the awning. p

Other objects `and-advantages willfmore fully appear from the following description of pre- (Cl. :Z0-457.5)

`Figure 2 showing the. construction of the'rhounting means. Y Figure 4 is va sect'onalvieiw'offoe of the' side frame members vof `th`e awning frame, taken along the lined-fnf Figure2. Jl'gure'B is a perspective vew'of a master'louver lever arm. VFigure 6 isa perspective rview offastandard louver lever arm. figure 7 is a perspective view of one of thebrackets which 'support` the awning relative to the building. vFigur'e'is a perspective view cfa side orendl'ouv'erv adapted to be secured to myawning. Figure 9'is'a`per`- spective View of my awning inclosed position with end'louvers attached. Figurehlo'i'sa 'view of the vawning of FigureQ with louvers'in open position. y y e,

An awning embodying a preferred form' of niy invention, see Figures'i, and?, includes movable standard llouvers "20 anda master louver' 2:3, ua frame I'll'comprising side rails lli'ja bottomjr'ail f8, a transverse torque shaft l'l'; thefside rails being pivotall'y mounted to 'swing aboutthe'a'xis of a torque shaft H and the frame vand'jtyorque shaft being'pivotally supported in desirable relation to a window I2 by a p'airof installation brackets I3. The frame ispivctally supported 'from the brackets I`3 and'hence can beswung bodily to any Vdesired angular position relative to the window l'2 and there maintained by "a pair of longitudinally adjustable and'eXtensi-ble arms I5 iiXedl'y secured t0 the bottom `rail Iii of 'the frame at la and to the buuomgat lll-.1. The standard louvers 2l] and` the inasterjlou'ver 23 extend horizontally of' said frame and preferably project beyond the side rails I4 of the frame as shown and are 'pivotall'y mounted fon the'side rails ofthe frame vas at 2f|`land 0n. the torque shaft Il as atl `2'2 respectively. lThe louvers are linked together for` simultaneous movement thereof by means responsive to rotational movement of the torqueshaft Ijl. Actuating means including link 8E! operable from within the building are provided to impartjrotational movement to the shaft il and thus secure the desired movement of all the louvers.

A feature of my invention resides in the pv otal suspension of the frame I with and through the torque shaft II from the brackets I3, see also Figure 3. Preferably this is accomplished with a pair of outwardly extending tubular sleeves or journal members 3I sleeved over the shaft adjacent each side rail and installation bracket, preferably secured respectively to each of the side rails and rotatably supported in appropriate bearings 40 in the installation brackets. The journal members 3i extend through the top ends of said side rails and provide free rotatable support for the torque shaft II which is preferably secured against longitudinal movement relative to said sleeves by cotter pins P driven through said shaft at convenient points preferably adjacent the innersides of the side rails I4 and alongside the master louver arms 15, see Figure 3. The side rails have their upper ends terminating in reinforced apertures or ring portions 3U through which journal members 3l extend outwardly. Each journal member preferably takes the form of a hollow sleeve having a cylindrical tubular portion 32 extending through the ring portion of each side rail and having an enlarged flanged end 33 lying adjacent the inner face of the ring portion of the rail. The cylindrical portion 32 of the sleeve 3| projects outward and beyond the aperture 30 and is seated in and pivotally supported by the cylindrical bearing sockets 4i] of the installation brackets I3. The shaft is free to rotate within the journal members and also serves as an integral part of the frame. It braces and stifens the frame, keeps the journal members aligned, and maintains the side rails parallel and true. Preferably the shaft is hexagonal or noncircular in cross-section as will be more fully explained. The frame, including the louvers '20 and 23, the shaft, journals, side rails, louver arms and louver operating mechanism constitutes a conveniently separate sub-assembly suitable for separate shipment and installation with desirable facility.

The installation brackets I3 support the awning in a position somewhat above the vwindow and desirably spaced outwardly therefrom a desirable and substantial distance so that access can be had to the windows for washing or for other purposes without removal of the awning and without unduly limiting the working space. The brackets I3 have vertical leg portions 4l adapted to lie flat against the wall of the building or window frame and to be secured to the wall by lag screws 43 or other suitable means. An inclined portion 42 depends diagonally outwardly and downwardly from the vertical leg lportion terminating in a horizontally disposed louver portion 44. As shown in Figures 2 and 7 the inclined portion 42 of the bracket I3 is angled within itself; the upper part thereof 42a inclining downwardly-at a gentle slope from the horizontal for a limited distance and providing a seating area upon which the upper and inward part of the canopy I9 is adapted to be secured as by appropriate bolts and nuts or rivets. The leftward and downward portion of the canopy, as viewed in Figure 2, is thus out of contact with the brackets I3 so that its lowermost portion is free to have limited movement for weather sealing purposes and/or installation operations to be more fully explained below. The part of the portion 42 of the bracket I3 leftwardly and downwardly of the part 42a, as viewed in Figure 2, is inclined quite steeply and is spaced V'from the shaft II to afford clearance for the upper and rightward edge of the master louver 23 when the same is rotated about the axis of the shaft as will be more fully explained below. The brackets I3 are stiifened and given added strength, each by means of a longitudinal rib 45 which traverses the under side of the bracket, terminating at maximum depth at the portion 4I and serving to brace the bracket against bending stresses. The lowermost portions 44 of the brackets I3 are provided with laterally extending U-shaped bearing sockets 4l! opening upwardly and adapted to receive and support the journal members or sleeves 3| through which the shaft and the frame are Ipivotally supported for rotation and swinging movements respectively about the shaft axis. A cotter pin C passing through suitable apertures in the upper ends of the Us of the bearing sockets hold the shaft, journal and awning for pivotal movement about the shaft axis and securely against accidental or inadvertent removal.

Another advantage is obtained from the design and construction of the side rails I4 which impart increased rigidity and strength as well as an improved appearance to the awning and frame therefor. Preferably, as best shown in Figure 4, the side rails are formed of light metal such as aluminum strip bent or rolled longitudinally to a U-shaped or, more precisely, a J-shaped section. This section shape is easily and economically produced by roll forming, press-brake or other forming methods, and, beside imparting rigidity to the frame, permits substantial concealment of the louver operating mechanisms. Thus the bottom portions 50 of the side rails are U-shaped providing channels in which the actuating links 60 with the lower ends of the louver arms of the vane operating mechanism are concealed. The outside wall of each rail I4 extends upwardly and is offset inwardly as at 52 so that the extreme upper section 53 of each rail lies in a plane substantially bisecting the lower U-portion of each rail. To stiffen the side rails I4 the top edge of each rail is preferably bent or curled outwardly to form a slight bead or flange 5E. In addition it may be found desirable to strengthen and stien the upper ends of each side rail adjacent the ring portion 30 by securing thereto a triangularly shaped plate 28 apertured to correspond with the aperture 30 and conforming with that portion of the side rail and secured thereto preferably by riveting or by other suitable means.

The awning frame is symmetrical so that the right hand rail, as viewed in Figure 1, has its wall portion to the outside of the awning while the left rail has its wall portion oppositely disposed and thus also to the outside. Thus the side rails substantially conceal the louver supporting arms and operating mechanisms so that the awning presents an uncluttered, clean and attractive appearance.

The louvers 20 and 23 are mounted on or in respect to each of the side rails so that they can be adjusted from fully closed position in which they lie in overlapping arrangement in a plane parallel to and closely adjacent the side rails to fully open position in which they extend substantially at to the side rails. Any desired number of louvers may be provided depending on the size of the awning. With the exception of the top master louvers 23, the louvers 20 are preferably identical in design, size, shape and in mounting.

Each ofthe louvers 20 is carried by a pair of supporting arms 'I0 and riveted to the angled nangeduppr ends Tlthereof-byl rivets: lsv which arms in turn arev pivotallyconnectedfbyz pivot pins 2|v extending through apertures 'I4i therein. and through the dimpledtopedges ofthe side rails I4. The arms 'Ill'are also pivotally connected by pins 6I at their lower dimpled ends through apertures 'I3 with the links 60x The louver arms. 'IDi are preferably mutually parallel1 and are-of the ysame length between thepoints 2| andGI whereby to swing equally in unison: in response to longitudinal movements ofthe links-6D under the influence of the torque shaft I'I.

A- pair of master louver arms -lsupport the Atop or master louver 23ffor movement with the louvers 2Il`` but the master arms-are-xedly connected in their mid-portions through hexagonalapertures 'IB directly to and' for rotationA with the torque shaft I I as at 22, Figures? and 3. Attheir lower ends the master arms arefapertured at II- and pivotally connected as at 62 to the-upper ends of links 60 thus acting as cranks between the shaft II and the actuating links 60. Preferably-the axis of the shaft IHI- is in linewith the axes of the pivot points 2 I and the length and direction ofthe lever arms 'I5 between theaxis of the shaft Il and their pivotal connections E2 withithe links lill are the same" length and` parallel with corresponding parts of the levers 'I9 betweenthe connections 2l and SI whereby free parallelogram action is afforded among theseveral arms-and :ff

links when the shaft is rotated.

Each master arm 'I5 has a fiat angled upper portion 'I9 secured to and supporting the master louver 23 as by rivets 12. Clockwise rotation of the shaft I I as viewed in Figure Zigives clockwise rotation to the louver 23 and the master lever arms 'I'- which latter movement is transmitted to the actuating links 60 and causes downward, as viewed in Figure 2, movement of' the links within the channels of the side rails I 4 and therebyturns l each of the lever arms 'I9 in a clockwise direction moving all the louvers equally toward open position. Converselyy counter-clockwise motion vof 'the shaft will tend to close all the louvers.

I prefer that the arms 'Ie and 'I5Y support the louvers so that in closed positionV they will lie in weatherproof, overlapping relationship close or proximate to the top edges of the side rails. Geometry necessitates that if the louvers lie quite close to the railsthey either be attached to .Y

the parts 1I' of the arms'l far'enough leftwardly and downwardly, as viewed in Figure2, ofA their pivot points 2l to admit their turning to right angles with the rails before their upper edges contact the rails, or that the top edges of the rails be notched somewhat as at to accommodate the upper edges of the louvers when the said upper edges lie both close to and upwardly, as viewed, of their. pivot points. Alternatively when the louvers are carried moreremotely from their pivot points and from the top edges of the rails their upper edgesmay lie more'rightwardly and upwardly, as viewed in Figure 2, without contacting the top edge of the side rails when turned'at right angles thereto. Withinthe precepts of my invention wide choice is facilitated'for mounting the louvers relative to their pivot points with or without notching the top edges ofthe rails as costs, balance and other considerations-of design suggest. I prefer that louvers 20 be supported by the arms @substantially asshown in'Fgure 2 with about three quarters of the louver leftwardly of the pivot point whereby gravity. tends to close the louvers. With the louverslying close to the side rails I am able to use shorter arms and therefore noten the; rails.: asvr at Si substantially as..` shown. If: desiredl; thev louvers can: besup:- portedat theirextremerearfedges, or.. spaced fare ther away from the-rails, so that the notches'` can be dispensed with entirely. To counteract the action' of gravity partially, though; desirably not entirely, itis practicable to provideapair ofpcoil springs S disposed respectively within theside rails I4, and secured: tothe sideA rails adjacent their lower endsI as ati II:I and toxthe ,actuating links 60 as'indicated atIIZ: Thespringsmay be stressed as .desired to counteract the, unbalanced weight of the louvers. and linkagefwherewith to give such ease of cperatiom as maybe desired, preferably without removing: all thetendency'of the louvers to remain shut-in theclosedrposition.

The master louver 23in addition to acting with thelouvers 29 as hereinabove described partici:- pates in a weather-sealing functionA with the canopy I9, Figures 1 andz, andisformed'and'situated to do its workthroughout a wide range'of angular relations between the. awning-frame. and the window or building as wells asin its several angular relations to the side railszof the frame. rIhe canopy I9 may have the same length as'the louvers 20and 23 and is preferably made of yielding sheet stock, such as'rolledaluminum, and xedly secured adjacent its upperfandrightward edge as viewed in Figure 2" to the-inclined-,portions 42a ofthe installation brackets'laand preferablyA in sealed or flashed relation'withthewall of the building or window frame; Thefwidth of the canopy, i. e. the dimension seen in Figure 2, is such as to extendv thecanopy, at the'desired inclination from the wall or building surface; to approximately the-Vertical plane of the shaft' II. The lower and leftward portion of the canopy I9 preferably terminates in a verticallydepending lip 29 lying substantially in or `with itslower edge lying in the vertical plane of the-axis ofthe shaft II and with itsA lower edge spaced above and parallel with said axis. The louver 23 has its upper and rightward, as viewed inFigureZ, por tion 24 disposedlbetween theA lip 29-of the'Y canopy I9and the axis of theshaft, saidportion 24 being given cylindrical arcuate form struck from the axis ofv the shaft II and of radius preferably slightly less or about equal to the distancebe.- tween the lower edge of the lipZSf andthe-axis of the shaft II as measured in the` absence of' the louver 2'3-v with the canopy in its idle lowermost unstressed condition. Thus when the louver 23 is in its operativesposition shown inFigure 2, the lower edge of thelip29 preferably-yieldingly bears on or approaches contact'with theA arcuate portion 24 in substantially weather-tight relation therewith throughout all angular dispositions of the louver relative -to the lip and to the frame and maintains-aweatherseal for-all angular positions ofthe frame; the frame andlouver being both pivotally supported for. rotation about'the laxis of the shaft II.

The forward; i. e, leftward, asfviewed invligure 2, part of the louver 23'is,` as mentioned above, carried on the angled portions 'Illiof the master arms l5, extends far enough to` overlap the rightward, as viewed, edge ofthe adjacent louver 29 in their lowered and-iclosedpositions. I alsofprefer that the extreme rightward, asviewed, edge of the louver 23 beyond the arcuateportion 2d terminate in a radially extending angled flange SS'Which will approach, if not touch, the lower part of vthelip 29fwhen the frameis in aboutthe angled-relation to the vertical' shown inFig-u're-Z and the: louvers-are=closed- Ifthe frameshould i? be disposed more nearly the y.vertical whenthe louvers are closed the flange 39 may bear on the lower part of the lip 29 and yieldingly move the lip 29 a little away from its vertical position; the length and yieldability of the lip 29 accommodating the movement of the fiange 39 to this extent. Similarly if the awning be positioned so nearly horizontal that the flat leftward, as viewed, part of the louver 23 should Acontact the lip 28 whenthe louver is opened, thelip can yield to accommodate this contact and movement. As viewed in Figure 2 the rightward edge Aof the curved portion 24 of the louver 23 might in an extreme clockwise turning movementl contact the part 44 of the brackets I3 adjacent the bearing 40 and undesirably limit movement of the louver under some circumstances. As presently advised I prefer to notch the edge of the louver adjacent the bracket to admit the desired turning movement or alternatively I find it practicable to form the part 44 of the brackets concave upwardly adjacent the bearing lil wherewith to admit the maximum desired turning of the louver 23 where the inclination of the awning would otherwise cause the contact and conflict mentioned.

To install my awning it is preferable that the brackets I3 first be secured to the building or window frame with the bearings 48 open to receive the shaft II and/or shaft and sleeves 3| and, if desirable, with the canopy I9 secured to the brackets as above described. Thereupon the awning frame with all of the louvers operatively assembled therewith and with the shaft may be inserted from a position a little leftwardly and below that shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 2, the shaft and sleeves 3| being moved upwardly from the front of the open bearings 4i! and then inwardly and downwardly thereinto whilst the arcuate portion 24 of the louver 23 engages the lower edge of the lip 29 and raises the free resilient forward portion of the canopy I9 wherewith to admit the parts to their operative and assembled relation. The lower edge of the lip 29 preferably retains substantial contact with the arcuate part 24 as the shaft is lowered down into the bearings 40, and thereafter the insertion of the cotter pins C completes the assembly as above mentioned. Alternatively the installation above described may and ofttimes is advantageously done before the canopy I8 is attached to the brackets I3. Under these circumstances the placing of the shaft and/or journal members in the bearings 48 is much facilitated and is often to be preferred except perhaps in installations where the latter attachment of the canopy I9 to the brackets is awkward by Virtue of the height or location of the window adjacent to which the awning is mounted. After either manner of mounting frame and canopy it remains only to attach appropriate means to rotate the shaft on the one hand and to position and secure the frame angularly with respect to the window or building on the other hand to complete the installation.

To effect rotational movement of the shaft I I, I prefer to provide a vertical rod or link 80 pivotally secured to a crank lever 8 I, Figures 2 and 3, which is non-rotatably secured to the shaft. The lower end of the rod 80 is in turn pivotally secured to a lever 82 which extends from the wall of the building and which may be given vertical rocking motion by manually operated means 83 from within the building, the details of which need not be described but which may comprise a worm and worm wheel or other arrangement suitable to convert rotation ofthe Vhandle 83 in ver tical swinging movement of the lever 82. Up and down vertical movement of the rod is transmitted by the lever 8| to produce rotation of the torque shaft II. Preferably the lever 8| has a hexagonalaperture 84 having a snug sliding nonrotatable fit with the shaft for quick nonrotatable attachment therewith. By cotter pins, not shown, or bypeening the shaft to the lever the lever is conveniently secured against undesirable longitudinal movement along the shaft. Preferably the awning will be swung to its desired inclination about the vshaft axis with reference to the window before the lever 8| is slipped onto the shaft II whereby a desirable relation between the lever and shaft may be selected with respect to the angular position the shaft will assume in accordance with the inclination of the awining. Preferably, as shown in Figure 3, the lever 8| is merely slipped over one of the exposed ends of the shaft with much convenience. I do not exclude however the practice of securing the lever to the shaft at any other position that may be more desirable under certain circumstances either from the point of view of torsional deflection of the shaft or from accessibility to or alignment with the operating means 83 or otherwise as convenience or expediency may suggest. Neither do I limit my invention to any specific means of making a non-rotatable connection between the lever and the shaft.

Referring again to Figure 3, my teaching is not necessarily limited to the employment of the shaft II in hexagonal form nor to the use of the sleeves 3| in conjunction therewith. For

example I have found it desirable to employ the shaft II in a smoothly cylindrical exterior form, journaling the shaft directly in the bearings 4t and pivoting the ends of the side rails directly to the shaft without the interposition of any sleeves or bushings therebetween. The smooth cylindrical form of shaft requires specifically different means for engagement of the lever arms l5 and the lever crank 8| therewith as distinguished from the convenient non-circular mating of the holes 18 and 84 therewith. I prefer to provide integral cylindrical drawn flanges F on the lever arms and crank as illustrated in dotted lines as to the crank 8| (a corresponding fiange for the arm 15 not being shown for the sake of clarity in the drawing) and then drill and pin the arms and crank to the shaft in situ as by taper pins T to secure them to the shaft in the desired angular positions. The smooth external shaft in this form of my invention performs substantially the same offices and functions as the non-circular shaft and acts directly as the pivotal axis of the awning and as the top frame member and rotating axis for the louvers and otherwise as above described.

In order to hold the awning in the desired angular position relative to the window, adjustable extensible support arms I5 are secured to the bottom rail I8 near each end of the awning. Preferably the arms I5 are made of tubular elements |28 and I2|, Whose flattened and bent ends |23 and |25 respectively are secured to the wall or window frame by screws or bolts as at I7 and to the bottom rail I8 as at I8 by rail embracing reentrant bend as shown. The effective length of each support arm may be selected and adjusted preferably by inserting a smaller rod or tube |25 of approximately the desired length telescopically within the juxtaposed open ends of each of the tubes |20 and |2| and if desired, holding the parts in the desired fixed relation thereto by drilling and pinning the tubes 120 and I 2| and the rod l 25 together in situ.

If desired my awning may be provided with side louvers or extensions, Figures 8, 9 and 1U, which serve to exclude those slanting rays of the sun which may reach the window around the end of the awning. Such a side louver HB9 is shown in Figure 8 and comprises an angled flange |01 which may be permanently or removably secured to the end of a main louver 20 or 23 by rivets or bolts |02, wherewith to dispose the main body or panel |93 thereof to lie and swing in a plane substantially normal to the axis about which the louver pivots. Side louvers 100e-d, differing only from the side louver E99 only in length, may be secured to as many of the louvers 29 as may be desired. It may be necessary or desirable to provide only the uppermost louvers with side extension louvers but I have illustrated a small awning in which all the louvers are so provided; the several side louvers being respectively of different lengths whereby their free, rightward as viewed, ends will line up in closed position desirably close to the window frame or building wall to create the desired protection against the slanting rays. An angled extension member |04 may be similarly secured to the end of the canopy I9 to overlap the louver and complete the enclosure. When the main louvers and 23 are in fully closed position the side louvers also preferably take a fully closed partially overlapping position, each side louver overlapping slightly the side louver adjacently below it as shown in Figure 9. When the main louvers 20 and 23 are in fully open position or nearly fully open position, the side louvers take the position shown in Figure 10, there being sufficient clearance provided so that the side louvers may fan together without locking or clashing.

While I have illustrated and described a pre ferred and certain modified forms of my invention I am aware that changes, modifications and improvements therein will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics thereof or from the substance of my teaching herein, and I do not care to be limited in the scope and eiect of my patent to the specific formsherein described in exempliiication of my invention nor in any manner other than by the claims hereof fairly construed.

Iclaim:

1. A louver awning comprising side rails, louvers pivotally supported on said side rails, an operating shaft, said side rails being pivotally supported for swinging movement about the axis of said operating shaft, means for rotating said operating shaft, means for transmitting shaft movement to said louvers, means for swinging said side rails about the axis of said shaft, means for supporting said shaft on a fixed axis while the shaft is rotated and while said side rails are swung including bearing means adapted to be secured to the building upon which the awning is mounted and pivotally supporting said awning about said axis, a weather seal element extending from said building above and spaced from said axis, and a louver element rotatably mounted to swing about said axis and interposed between said axis and said weather sealing element, said elements having yielding and sliding contact, one of said elements having an arcuate portion in contact with the other struck from said ayis as a center.

2. A louver awning comprising movable louvers, a louver operating shaft rotatably mounted on an axis adapted to be supported in fixed relation to the building surface with which the awning is associated, louver-supporting side rails extending transversely of said shaft and pivotally supported for swinging movement about the axis of said shaft, the uppermost louver of said movable louvers having pivotal movement about said shaft axis and having a cylindrical portion struck from said axis, a weather sealing member contacting said portion of said louver, an operating lever for rotating said shaft engageable therewith, means for supporting said shaft for rotation about its own axis, means for positioning said side rails about the same axis and means actuated by said shaft for moving said louvers.

3. A louver awning comprising movable louvers, a louver operating shaft rotatably mounted on an axis adapted to be supported in xed relation to the building surface with which the awn- .f ing is associated, louver-supporting side rails extending transversely of said shaft and pivotally supported for swinging movement about the axis of said shaft, an operating lever for rotating said shaft engageable therewith, means for supporting said shaft for rotation about its own axis including supporting brackets having upwardly facing openable bearings in which said shaft is removably journalled, bushings in which said shaft is journalled being secured to andI extending through said side rails, said bushings comprising direct pivotal supports for said frame and being removably supported in said bearings, means for positioning said side rails about the same axis and means actuated by said shaft for moving said louvers.

4. A louver awning comprising a frame including side rails and a top louver member mounted on said side rails, brackets pivotally supporting said frame for movement about a fixed axis, a weather seal member mounted on said brackets, one of said members having a cylindrical surface and the other of said members having an edge having wiping engagement with said cylindrical surface, the axis of said cylindrical surface being substantially coincident with said xed axis whereby the engagement of said members is maintained for every pivotal position of said louver member.

JOHN F. KRAMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the i'lle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

